nycdaug Chapter 16: Two Herrschers?
Chapter 16: Two Herrschers?
……
"Oh my, what adorable little white mice!"
Mebius walked along the long, wide road, fiddling with a tablet computer in his hand, and smiled fondly at the virtual projection panel.
First of all, who gave them the confidence to think they could sneak away from Möbius? She's a seasoned veteran of the United Nations; she can tell what these two naive kids are thinking just from a slight expression. Moreover, Yun Fuyu and Xier are completely unaware that they've been fitted with hidden satellite trackers.
Secondly, who gave them the confidence that Möbius couldn't catch up with them? Even now, although the evolution Möbius pursues remains a distant dream, her body has already undergone some modifications. To say nothing more, if they ran tens of kilometers ahead, Möbius could still catch up.
Finally, who gave them the confidence to think that Mebius alone couldn't catch up? Although she didn't tell anyone about her coming out this time, those who know Mebius well know that she must have entered the Honkai area.
Just last night, May contacted Möbius and questioned her purpose. Möbius casually recounted her discovery: the second core area, and the suspicious Yun Fuyu and Xi'er. Finally, May decided to send a small team to await orders. Right now, that team is flying in the sky, serving both as surveillance and a means of getting around when tired.
At this point, Mebius didn't know much. She was only guessing, based on her past experience—that the birth of a Herrscher is always accompanied by a Honkai Beast—that one of Seele and Cloud Rain was such a special being, except that it could appear in human form.
Yun Fuyu's suspiciousness lies in his immense strength, yet he's so afraid of snakes, which seems unlikely. Therefore, Xi'er also became a suspect.
Yesterday, Mebius told them that two Honkai energy core regions had been detected during this Honkai event, and that she had come looking for the second core region. But she didn't say how she found them.
Hmph, the second core area happened to appear when Yun Fuyu and Seele first met. Since then, Mebius has actually been keeping an eye on that area. Last night, a light suddenly flashed frequently in that area (Seele's flashlight), which allowed Mebius to pinpoint their location.
~
Counting the time, it has been eight days since the second core area appeared.
Kevin and Hen have been fighting for six days now. If they don't make any progress, the pressure from above will get them in trouble.
Just as he was thinking this, a call invitation suddenly popped up on the virtual screen in front of Möbius.
connected.
The purple-haired, eye-eyed girl still retained a childlike innocence, but her voice already carried a certain authority. She asked, "Mebius, are you still within the Great Collapse Zone?"
Möbius: "Of course. I'm not like you guys who have nothing better to do. I keep an eye on these two adorable little white mice."
Is someone who oversees the entire war effort just bored out of their mind?
Mei knew that Möbius was just like that, so she ignored her and continued, "Kevin and the others have found the Herrscher's true form. It's strange, the Herrscher's power is very weak, but its companion Honkai Beast is extremely powerful. I'm sending you the information. If there's nothing else, you should retreat as soon as possible and not stay here."
The reason Mebius expressed his suspicion to Me was that Yun Fuyu and Seele might have a companion Honkai Beast. But now that the Herrscher and its companion Honkai Beast have appeared, Mebius's suspicion has naturally been proven false.
Mei woke up and retreated as quickly as possible to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Although many people disliked Mébius, Mei knew deeply that she was an irreplaceable researcher in the post-apocalyptic world and could not be allowed to fall.
Soon, the information about the Lawyer arrived. Mebius unpacked the file; it contained images, videos, and text. One image quickly caught her eye—
It is a frontal photo of the Sixth Herrscher.
Her short hair, a blend of red and black, framed her alluring, pale red eyes. Her black mini-skirt, alluring yet not seductive, seemed to be formed from the power of a Herrscher, exquisite and beautiful. She gazed at the newcomer with a hint of disgust, warily raising one hand to her chest.
This is……
Mebius smiled faintly and said softly to Mei on the other end of the communication line, "Mei, my guinea pig's identity seems to be more special than we imagined."
Mei: "What did you discover?"
Mebius did not answer directly, but murmured a question: "There can be two Herrschers...?"
Mei: "Of course not. Only one person can bear the power of a Herrscher, and only when the previous Herrscher dies will the next Herrscher be born... This is a rule that we deduced together."
Mebius spoke slowly: "But reality slapped us hard in the face. Seele, who appeared in the second core area, and the Herrscher who appeared in the first core area obviously have almost identical appearances."
Mei paused for a moment: "...That's impossible. There can't be two Herrschers at the same time, let alone one set of authority held by two people. It's probably just a coincidence."
Mebius suddenly recalled the inexplicably lush flowers and plants near the temporary camp this morning, and smiled subtly: "What if the Herrscher's authority is inherently twofold? Two sides of the same coin, the known decay and the unknown creation?"
(Note: Seele displays her power in the dream world, but this also affects the real world.)
Mei: "...That shouldn't be the case either. Two souls...or two consciousnesses, could never maintain stability within the power and consciousness of a Herrscher."
Möbius: "But you've already said 'impossible' twice incorrectly. Why can't this third 'impossible' be 'possible'?"
Mei was speechless.
Möbius: "It's probably because you haven't seen Seele in person. Once you see her, you'll immediately sense that although she and that Herrscher have completely different temperaments, they must be the same person, there's no mistake about that."
May: "Okay, I'll let Kevin and the others know. Möbius, what are your plans?"
Möbius: "Of course, it's about following my lovely little white mice, knocking them out, and bringing them back."
Although it sounds a bit far-fetched, that's a half-Herrscher, can he really just knock her out and take her away? But with all the information in the world so chaotic, Mei didn't know what to do and could only let Mébius do as he pleased.
As for what this doctor said? Just listen to it and ignore it.
……
……
After years of combat training, Kevin's power had advanced to a level sufficient to contend with a normal Herrscher—equivalent to the level of a future S-class Valkyrie. However, the Sixth Herrscher's power was unexpectedly weak, and she was being steadily pushed back by Kevin's attacks, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
However, the Lawyer suddenly burst into laughter.
"Impressive, impressive! Human, I admit your strength surpasses mine, but so what?!"
She stared coldly at the white-haired man holding the gun and sneered, "Right now, I'm just a half-finished product! If my full power were unleashed, you would never be my match!"
Kevin remained calm, his voice steady: "Even if what you say is true, I will still kill you with my own hands."
The Herrscher seemed ready to be slaughtered. Kevin slowly approached her, the muzzle of his gun pressed against the girl's pale forehead, just one step away from pulling the trigger.